Primer Experiment

[Smitty79]

I now have a 1000 CCI, Winchester, Federal, S&B, Remington and Magtec SPPs.

I want to clearly establish which ones go bang the best with light hammers.   My current SP-01 Shadow set up, extended firning pin, light TRS, 11.5# hammer spring and RP FP spring with a coil cut off has a light strike fail to fire about 1 in 300 on CCI.   It's 100% on Federal.

Here's how I'm going to do the check.  I will load up 100 rounds with each of the primers I haven't shot yet.   Any with 1 or less fail to fire for light strike go through to the second round.   The second round is 50 rounds with my Shadow running an 8.5# spring.    If any don't have fails on the 8.5# spring, they are good to go.  The 8.5# spring makes the trigger lighter than I want at my current skill level.

Feds and CCI's are already through to the second round.

Any that do well in the first round and not the second will become practice ammo until I have a longer history.

I'll report results here.   I've just tuned up my 550 to minimize primer seating variation.

Any comments on a better way to do it?

[Wobbly]

Sounds like a good test to me.

 

[2morechains]

After you load your ammo up, box them bullets down.  Then run your finger over the primers to see if any are higher than the rest.  Or use a straight edge.  Either way, you're looking for high primers.  I would rule that out first. 

[Smitty79]

I'll do it when they are in the Hundo case gauge.

[copemech]

I was readins something on this the other day, cannot recall where.

Federal seems good to go, Magtec was high as well, Win did ok, CCI was a bit iffy, not sure about others.

[Smitty79]

I was readins something on this the other day, cannot recall where.

Federal seems good to go, Magtec was high as well, Win did ok, CCI was a bit iffy, not sure about others.

Hence the reason for the test.

[IDescribe]

I pop CCI's no problem, but I use a 13# main spring.  I am most curious about the S&B. 

[nicky]

Smitty

That will be an interesting test. I'm curious about how you tuned your 550 to minimizing primer seating variation

[Smitty79]

Smitty

That will be an interesting test. I'm curious about how you tuned your 550 to minimizing primer seating variation

I didn't do anything special.   I just cleaned things up, made sure it's all adjusted for smooth operation and made sure the shell plate is tight.

[SMSgt]

"My current SP-01 Shadow set up, extended firning pin, light TRS, 11.5# hammer spring and RP FP spring with a coil cut off has a light strike fail to fire about 1 in 300 on CCI."

That right there invalidates any results, IMO.

I've used just about every sort of primer--no Russian primers--in my reloading as well as what the factory loads may use, and in all my "stock" firearms, never have I had a misfired round except for two clearly dud CCIs from the same pack eons ago. This despite all the claims of Brand A having thicker/thinner cups than Brand B, C, and D.

If I were to cut coils off the spring and/or make other modifications to the firing mechanism, I wouldn't blame the primer for a misfire. That's like blaming the gasoline maker because your engine blew up after you installed a modified cam and piston rods in the motor.

[painter]

I didn't take it as the OP was looking to place any 'blame' on a brand as 'substandard' or anything like that.

I took it as he's looking to find primers that run close to 100% in his particular set up.

[Smitty79]

"My current SP-01 Shadow set up, extended firning pin, light TRS, 11.5# hammer spring and RP FP spring with a coil cut off has a light strike fail to fire about 1 in 300 on CCI."

That right there invalidates any results, IMO.

I've used just about every sort of primer--no Russian primers--in my reloading as well as what the factory loads may use, and in all my "stock" firearms, never have I had a misfired round except for two clearly dud CCIs from the same pack eons ago. This despite all the claims of Brand A having thicker/thinner cups than Brand B, C, and D.

If I were to cut coils off the spring and/or make other modifications to the firing mechanism, I wouldn't blame the primer for a misfire. That's like blaming the gasoline maker because your engine blew up after you installed a modified cam and piston rods in the motor.

I'm really writing this for the action shooting competition crowd.   My home defense gun has a 12# DA pull and a 5# SA pull.   It's stock and I would expect it to shoot any primer I put into it.   For my USPSA Production gun, I have a 2# DA, 6# SA.   I'm willing to run only Federal primers for practice and matches if that's what I have to do.

There are lots of Internet posts from people who've said that they've run 4000 of primer X with no problems so it's a good to go in a tuned competition gun.   I then run primer X and it doesn't work in my gun.    I'm trying to run a statistically significant study to be useful for the competition crowd.   I'm going to run the same gun, same loading machine, I may even do the work with the same cleaning history on the gun.

This is the thread for gamers, not defensive shooters.

[jameslovesjammie]

Sounds like a great test!  While I've got a pretty good idea how it will turn out, I am definitely interested in your results!

[papaairbear]

Me, too.  A lot of good information can be used by general reloaders from this as well.

[Smitty79]

Here's my first piece of data.   I don't like Magtec primers.    I use a Vibra-Prime to fill primer tubes and the Magtecs don't load smoothly.   I had to pick them to get them in straight.   Even if they work out as near Federal performance, I'll use something else.

The S&B primers I've tried worked great.